


1968

by Tortellini



Series: Inktober/Fictober 2k19 [16]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Based on a Tumblr Post, Boys Kissing, Canon Jewish Character, Character Study, Coming Out, Dancing, Dave & Klaus Hargreeves During Vietnam, Emotional, Fictober 2019, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Homophobia, Inktober 2019, Inspired By Tumblr, Internalized Homophobia, Jewish Character, Jewish Dave (Umbrella Academy), Kissing, LGBTQ Jewish Character(s), Laughter, Light Angst, M/M, Male Friendship, Romance, Song Lyrics, Time Travel, Vietnam War, Wordcount: Over 1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-25 16:54:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21359518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tortellini/pseuds/Tortellini
Summary: Inktober/Fictober 2019 Day 16: WildFandom: The Umbrella AcademyIn the sweat and terror of Vietnam, Dave Katz is trying to do his best to fit in and be a picture-perfect soldier. All of a sudden though, he meets a naked bleeding man in his sleeping quarters. Needless to say, when Dave decides to become friends with Klaus Hargreeves, he leaves that ''fitting in'' part of his life behind. Two songs that have an impact on Dave and Klaus' relationship.Oneshot
Relationships: Dave/Klaus Hargreeves
Series: Inktober/Fictober 2k19 [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1508147
Comments: 2
Kudos: 74





	1968

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [this post](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/532768) by herunswithwolves.tumblr.com. 

Klaus Hargreeves is...eccentric. That's the word that Dave Katz decides is best to use these days

He has no idea where the hell he had come from because god knows he's not a soldier. He shows up one night in the barracks, nude except for a trench coat--Dave doesn't look, of course not, he was raised better than that--and bleeding profusely from everywhere. Dave doesn't have a chance to do anything but stare at him before the bombs start going off.

The panic in the other man's face is what tips him off that something really is wrong with him. Like he'd never even heard of the war or something. No one else seems to notice him and yeah, maybe Dave thinks he's imagined him, until the sergeant is screaming orders and none of them have the luxury of thinking anymore. 

That's Dave's first experience with the man he comes to know as Klaus. And honestly? Even if he's a weird son of a bitch, Dave likes him. For one thing, he's so different than everyone else here that it almost makes Dave sick from relief--his smile is easy, voice lilting, arm around Dave's own shoulders and it feels _right. _It feels safe. 

Nothing else feels safe though.

The air is hot and thick, smelling of tar and dust, and Dave falls asleep to the sound of bombs in the distance. Right now, it's nighttime, and he and Klaus are sharing a cigarette in the barracks, huddled around the little tinny radio. 

"Yeah, they've been advertising this song for ages," Dave was saying, trying to concentrate on his own words while his shoulder was brushing against Klaus'. "Supposed to come out sometime tonight. If we don't have anything to do--I mean, if there isn't a raid, we should listen."

Klaus doesn't answer right away, staring at the radio in front of them, his hand tapping his legs distractedly. Dave winces. He's seen the signs of withdrawl on other men around him. He himself has managed to stay away from anything more hardcore than just smoking rope. But he'd seen Klaus' arms and he knows that's not the case for his friend.

He bumps his shoulder again. "Klaus."

"Hm?" Klaus looks up, blue eyes wide and genuine, and Dave can feel a part of his heart melt a little bit. "We're gonna hear a song? What song?"

Dave grins. "We'll have to see." 

The radio crackles a little bit and that gets his attention: "Here's 'Born To Be Wild' by Steppenwolf!" the announcer says, and the song starts. 

And then, to Dave's shock, Klaus' eyes light up. "I know this song!" 

_Get your motor runnin'_  
_Head out on the highway_  
_Lookin' for adventure_  
_And whatever comes our way_  
_Yeah Darlin' go make it happen_  
_Take the world in a love embrace_  
_Fire all of your guns at once_  
_And explode into space_

Klaus' voice isn't as polished as the men on the radio, but all the words come out of his mouth perfectly as if he'd heard this song before. But this is the first time it's being played. It doesn't make any sense. 

And Dave should be listening to the radio, or not making it so obvious that he's watching Klaus' lips but--he can't. 

_I like smoke and lightning_  
_Heavy metal thunder_  
_Racin' with the wind_  
_And the feelin' that I'm under_  
_Yeah Darlin' go make it happen_  
_Take the world in a love embrace_  
_Fire all of your guns at once_  
_And explode into space_

"Here, here, get up--" And then Klaus is pulling Dave up clumsily to stand, making him trip, and grabbing his hands to dance. They're the only ones there so they can hold each other. Dave's hands are bigger and firmer--Klaus' feel bony in his own. And Klaus is leading him in half a twist, half a tango, and he can hardly sing from how hard they're both laughing. Dave's face hurts; it's the happiest he's felt in months. 

_Like a true nature's child_  
_We were born, born to be wild_  
_We can climb so high_  
_I never wanna die_  
_Born to be wild... Born to be wild_

Klaus cups his cheek, and--they're so close, he can feel his breath--and--

His lips are on his. 

Dave jerks back, half in surprise, his eyes wide. He's shaking his head before he can stop himself. 

"I-I can't, Klaus, I--"

"It's okay," Klaus is saying. "It's okay, it's me, Dave, it's--"

"I can't, I'm--"

"It's okay--"

"It's not!" His voice is a lot louder than he means it to be and Klaus flinches. "It's not and don't you say it is. It-it's wrong. It's not normal, it's..."

"Then I'm not normal," Klaus says, just like that. He doesn't sound angry, or bitter. 

He can just say it. Dave can too. He takes a deep breath. His hands are shaking. 

"Klaus..."

"You can say it," Klaus says gently. 

"I really, um. I really fucking like you," he whispers. 

Klaus' eyes crinkle. "I really fucking like you too." 

He puts his face into Klaus' bony shoulder and lets out a shaky breath.

* * *

Dave Katz has lived with labels. He doesn't mind them. The one he finds himself saying the most these days is that he's Jewish. It's scratched dutifully into his dog tags; if (when) he's killed on the battlefield he doesn't want a christian funeral and that's important to him. Now, he has another label.

Homosexual. Dave Katz is a homosexual.

He knows others will eventually find out. And he cares, it scares him. 

But he can deal with it for now. Now, here in Vietnam, men are different than they would be at home. Men are blown up. Men are high out of their minds. Men sit there blankly with tears running down their filthy faces. Dave is grateful that Klaus comes back to him every night, cheerful and scruffy, cigarettes in hand to share. 

He falls asleep to Klaus next to him, hand tracing patterns on his bare arm. Klaus is humming something, and he makes it out in his sleepy haze...

"...take a sad song...and make it better..."

His voice is familiar. Dave's put at ease. 

"Remember...to let 'er into your heart...then you can start...to make it better..."

He falls asleep. It's a few days later when he hears those words on the radio. 

"Okay," he says finally, easily one day, falling into step with him. "You have to tell me how."

"How?" Klaus grins, cocks an eyebrow. "How I always look this good in fucking Vietnam?"

Dave turns pink, and Klaus' grin widens. "No, that's not what I meant, believe it or not. You...know songs that haven't even come out on the radio yet. How the hell?"

Klaus' smile falls. He gets serious. "I figured I'd have to tell you sometime." He hesitates. "I'm from the future."

Dave bursts out laughing. 

"I'm serious! I'm from the future!"

"Yeah, okay," Dave wraps an arm around his shoulders, squeezing him gently. "I'll figure it out sooner or later. Don't tell me yet."

Because obviously that's not the truth. It can't be. Only then and now exists. 


End file.
